Amy Adams loves people thinking she is stupid and even stayed in a relationship because she was ''fascinated'' by her boyfriend's assumptions about her intelligence

The 'Leap Year' actress admits she is often mistaken for being unintelligent but insists it doesn't bother her as it gives her more power.

She said: "I once dated a guy who thought I was really stupid and I kept dating him because I was fascinated by it. He was very educated and liked to use big words and, although I may not speak like that, I'm an avid reader so I always knew what he was talking about. This was back when I was blonde and wore a lot of miniskirts. He actually used the line from 'Legally Blonde' where he said I was more of a Marilyn than a Jackie O.

"I never want to prove that I'm not stupid because, if someone thinks I'm stupid, it means I have the upper hand. It's not a matter of manipulation because I'm still myself, but it's amazing what people will say when they think that you don't really understand them. You can learn a lot about somebody that way.

Despite her good looks, Amy has managed to do the almost impossible - be liked by both men and women - and puts this down to the way she portrays herself.

She said: "Am I asexual? I don't present myself to the world like: everyone has to see my bits. But I wouldn't call myself prudish by any means.

"There are a lot of women out there like me. I think it's something that's more fun to discover than to put out there."